Jefferson County Court appoints volunteer advocates for children

A Jefferson County Court swore in nearly a dozen volunteer advocates on Monday who will serve as mediators for abused and neglected children.

(Julie Chang/The Enterprise)

Judge Larry Thorne presided over the ceremony that swore in 11 Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteer and one staff member.

A CASA volunteer, who undergoes more than 30 hours of training, is assigned to each child who is removed from a dangerous or unhealthy situation. The volunteer serves as the “vehicle for communication” for the child while they move through the CPS system.

Thorne said that there has been a greater need for CASA volunteers in Jefferson County in recent times.

“I don’t know if it’s the economy or what, but your dose of love can [be] something constant in these foster children’s lives,” Thorne said to the new volunteers.

New volunteer Carolyn Jones who has also been a nurse for 38 years joined the program because she saw the impact her daughter was making as a CASA volunteer.

“Kids deserve the best,” said Jones, who is a pre-operation nurse at Baptist Hospital. “When you’re blessed, you want to do the blessing to someone.”